“And you did he make alive, when ye were dead through your trespasses and sins,” Ephesians 2:1 (ASV)
I was one of those kids who never got into trouble, not because I was born from a different cut of cloth than others, but because of the great fear of what the consequences would be at home if I did. I remember as a young teen, my mom telling me that if I was ever picked up by the police, not to waste the time calling home, no one would come.
The fear of making a mistake followed me from childhood into adulthood and captured my every thought. I even entertained the fear of being in the wrong place at the wrong time and being blamed for someone else’s behavior; so I isolated myself.
When I gave my heart to Jesus and heard about the consequences of sin, and that the Bible says that we all sin, I struggled with it. I had always done my best not to do anything illegal or immoral. These verses brought me great confusion. I didn’t understand that what the world considered to be sin and what God considered to be sin were 2 very different things, and in all my careful years of watching my behavior, I had let God down. Even my refusing to believe that I was sinning in some area of my life was a sin in the eyes of God (1 John 1:8).
The scriptures clearly state that we are not to be involved in “quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfishness, backstabbing, gossip, conceit, and disorderly behavior” (Galatians 5:19) – busted! These behaviors seem to be inborn in us, and we must grow past these practices as teens and young adults. I had no idea that God considered these “temper tantrum behaviors” to be sins. I heard a pastor speak about these behaviors, stating that when we listen to gossip, or people backstabbing, or witness outbursts of anger or disorderly conduct, and do nothing to stop it, we are guilty of participating. If we don’t walk away and refuse to be a part of the conversation, we are guilty of supporting them by our simply being there. I was guilty of doing nothing. I was guilty of being party to damaging someone else’s reputation. I was guilty of sin.
I am so thankful that our loving God gives us a way to restore ourselves (2 Corinthians 12:21). He gives us the opportunity to repent and ask for forgiveness from the offended party, freeing us from the penalty of sin. God also gives us the choice not to repent, not to walk in humility and correct our wrongful ways, even though it grieves Him to see us in that condition; under the curse of sin. And through that curse, we will live our lives without the blessing of inheriting the Kingdom of God and all of the eternal gifts that wait for us there (Galatians 5:21). By remaining in sin we sign our own death warrant, in the eternal lake of fire (Proverbs 11:19).
I am thankful that God loves us so much that He is willing to remove all of our sins from His memory and allow us to become pure in his sight (Psalms 103:12). I am thankful that He loves us so much that He gave His only Son, Jesus, as a sacrifice for our sins, and that by Jesus’ blood we are cleansed (Revelation 1:5). I am thankful that this is a free gift from God the Father, without unreachable goals or impossible tasks (Romans 6:23). I am so thankful that He not only saved me from my own sinful nature, made a way for me to overcome the very faults that were born within me, and gave me the opportunity to stand above all that I ever thought I could be, righteous and healed (1 Peter 2:24).
I am thankful that He trusted me enough to not only lift me up, but to teach me His ways so that I can teach others the truths of the scriptures that they may never have heard. I am thankful that He makes a way to share all I have learned to all who will listen with a humble and open heart. I am thankful.
*A Journey Through Ephesians – Chapter 2, Part 1
Written by Linda J. Humes
11-1-2014
Linda J. Humes 